National Democratic Redistricting Committee
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| Read about the Democratic and Republican organizations formed to shape redistricting after the 2020 census: National Democratic Redistricting Committee • National Republican Redistricting Trust |
| National Democratic Redistricting Committee | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Type: | •527 group •501(c)(4) •501(c)(3) |
| Top official: | Eric Holder, Chair |
| Year founded: | 2016 |
The National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC) is a 527 group, or nonprofit organization, that aims to position Democrats favorably for the round of redistricting following the 2020 census.[1] It is chaired by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, and former President Barack Obama (D) has identified it as his main post-presidency political focus.[2]
The NDRC is affiliated with the 501(c)(3) entity the National Redistricting Foundation and the 501(c)(4) entity the National Redistricting Action Fund.[3][4]
Mission[edit]
According to the National Democratic Redistricting Committee's Internal Revenue Service (IRS) filings, its mission is:
| “ | To build a comprehensive plan to favorably position Democrats for the redistricting process through 2022.[1][5] | ” |
Background[edit]
Democratic leaders, including Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy (D), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), pitched the idea of the NDRC to major donors at the Democratic National Convention in July 2016.[2]
The NDRC registered with the IRS in August 2016 and launched in October 2016.[6]
Related groups[edit]
| National Democratic Redistricting Committee related groups | ||
|---|---|---|
| National Democratic Redistricting Committee | National Redistricting Foundation | National Redistricting Action Fund |
| 527 group | 501(c)(3) | 501(c)(4) |
| The National Democratic Redistricting Committee can engage in campaign politics with no campaign limits, specifically supporting or attacking candidates, and must disclose donors. It may not, however, coordinate its activities with any campaign. Examples include the Republican Governors Association, Democratic Governors Association, Citizens United, and EMILY's List.[7] | The National Redistricting Foundation is a 501(c)(3) group, which refers to to a section of the U.S. federal income tax code concerning charitable, religious, and educational organizations.[8] Organizations that have been granted 501(c)(3) status by the Internal Revenue Service are exempt from federal income tax.[9] This exemption requires that any political activity by the charitable organization be nonpartisan in nature.[10] | The National Redistricting Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) group, which refers to a section of the U.S. federal income tax code concerning social welfare organizations.[11] Corporations that have been granted 501(c)(4) status by the Internal Revenue Service are exempt from federal income tax.[12] However, unlike 501(c)(3) organizations, donations to 501(c)(4) entities are not tax-deductible for the individual or corporation making the donation. These organizations may engage in political lobbying and political campaign activities. This includes donations to political committees that support or oppose ballot measures, bond issues, recalls or referenda. |
Work[edit]
The NDRC aims to position the Democratic Party favorably for redistricting following the 2020 census.[1] According to Politico, the group formed to "coordinate campaign strategy, direct fundraising, organize ballot initiatives and put together legal challenges to state redistricting maps."[2] The NDRC's website describes its work as "a four-part strategy focused on advancing legal action, mobilizing grassroots energy, supporting reforms, and winning targeted elections... As each piece comes together, our comprehensive approach to redistricting will ensure that we can achieve a fairer process and fairer maps."[13]
"American voters deserve fair maps that represent our diverse communities – and we need a coordinated strategy to make that happen," NDRC Chair Holder said. "This unprecedented new effort will ensure Democrats have a seat at the table to create fairer maps after 2020."[2]
Lawsuits[edit]
- On February 26, 2018, Politico reported that The National Redistricting Foundation—the 501(c)3 group related to the National Democratic Redistricting Committee—sued Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) for not holding special elections for two state Legislature seats. The seats were left vacant after an assemblyman and state senator resigned to accept jobs in Walker's administration, and were scheduled to remain open until January 2019 after the regularly-scheduled elections the November beforehand.[14] The foundation contended that “plaintiffs have a clear legal right to elect representatives to fill those vacancies (and to representation in the Legislature) and Governor Walker has a plain legal duty to issue the writs of election to hold a special election as promptly as possible.”[14] On March 22, 2018, a county judge found Walker had misinterpreted state law governing when to fill the vacant seats and ordered Walker to call the two special elections.[15]
- On October 3, 2017, The New York Times reported that the NDRC-affiliated National Redistricting Foundation would file a racial gerrymandering lawsuit against Georgia. The foundation claimed that Georgia Republicans violated the Voting Rights Act and the Fourteenth Amendment in 2015 by adjusting the state's 105th and 111th legislative districts to minimize the influence of black voters and failing to draw a majority-minority district in the Atlanta area.[16]
According to the NDRC's website, the group and its affiliates have also been involved in redistricting lawsuits in Pennsylvania, Texas, North Carolina, and Virginia.[3]
First Obama fundraiser, July 2017[edit]
On July 13, 2017, former President Obama appeared at his first NDRC fundraiser. According to Politico, the fundraiser, which was also attended by Holder and Pelosi, was held at a private home in Washington, D.C.[17]
Political activity[edit]
2018 elections[edit]
On February 7, 2018, the NDRC released its list of 2018 target and watch states. The table below lists the states on the list, which states were Republican trifectas as of February 2018, and which elections the NDRC intends to target in each state.[18][19]
| NDRC electoral target states, 2018[18] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | State | Targeted elections | Republican trifecta |
| Target Group A: Described by the NDRC as "States that were gerrymandered by Republicans after the 2010 elections" | |||
| Georgia | Gubernatorial, state Senate | ✔ | |
| Michigan | Ballot initiative, gubernatorial, state Senate, state House | ✔ | |
| North Carolina | State Senate, state House | ||
| Ohio | Ballot initiative, gubernatorial, secretary of state, state auditor, state Senate, state House | ✔ | |
| Pennsylvania | Gubernatorial, state Senate, state House | ||
| Texas | State Senate, state House | ✔ | |
| Virginia | State Senate, state House | ||
| Wisconsin | Gubernatorial, state Senate | ✔ | |
| Target Group B: Described by the NDRC as "States at risk of gerrymandering during 2021 redistricting" | |||
| Colorado | Gubernatorial, state Senate | ||
| Florida | Gubernatorial, state Senate | ✔ | |
| Minnesota | Gubernatorial, state Senate special elections, state House | ||
| Nevada | Gubernatorial, state Senate, state House | ||
| Watch list | |||
| Arizona | Ballot initiative | ✔ | |
| Maine | Gubernatorial, state Senate | ||
| Missouri | Ballot initiative | ✔ | |
| New Hampshire | Gubernatorial, state Senate, state House | ✔ | |
| New York | State Senate | ||
| South Carolina | Gubernatorial, state House | ✔ | |
| South Dakota | Ballot initiative | ✔ | |
| Utah | Ballot initiative | ✔ | |
According to The New York Times, "Holder said in an interview that the group was chiefly determined to deny Republicans so-called trifectas in state governments – places where a single party controls the governorship and an entire legislature, as Republicans do in Ohio and Florida, among other critical battlegrounds."[20] "From my perspective, success is if you break a trifecta," Holder told the Times. "I don't think that in December of 2018, you measure success only by whether you have assumed control of a particular state."[20]
As of February 8, 2018, six of the NDRC's 12 targeted states were Republican state trifectas. Republicans held 26 trifectas nationwide at that time, and Democrats held eight.
Holder told Politico in November 2017 that the NDRC planned to raise more than $30 million for the 2018 election cycle.[21] As of the release of its target list in February 2018, he said the group had raised more than $16 million.[20]
The NDRC played a role in the Wisconsin state senate special election in January 2017 when it spent nearly $50,000 supporting Democratic candidate Patty Schachtner, who ended up winning the race.[22]
2017 elections[edit]
The NDRC supported Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam's (D) 2017 campaign for governor of Virginia. According to Politico, the group invested $1.2 million in campaign support and digital ads for Northam.[21] Northam won the seat with 54 percent of the vote.
The group also reported spending $50,000 in 2017 to defend three Nevada state senators from recall attempts.[3] The recall attempts were launched in August 2017 against Democratic state Sens. Nicole Cannizzaro and Joyce Woodhouse and independent state Sen. Patricia Farley. Recall supporters failed to submit sufficient signatures to place the Farley recall on the ballot. As of February 8, 2018, the Cannizzaro recall and Woodhouse recall efforts were ongoing.
Ballot measure activity[edit]
The NDRC contributed funds to the campaign supporting Ohio Issue 1—the Congressional Redistricting Procedures Amendment. Issue 1 resulted from negotiations between state Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats, and the leaders of a committee involved in a redistricting initiative campaign.[23][24][25] Issue 1 was designed to change the vote requirements to pass congressional redistricting maps and the standards used in congressional redistricting in Ohio.[26]
Overview of ballot measure support and opposition[edit]
The following table details the NDRC's ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:
| Ballot measure support and opposition for the NDRC | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballot measure | Year | Position | Status |
| Ohio Issue 1, Congressional Redistricting Procedures Amendment (May 2018) | 2018 | Supported |  Approved
|
| Michigan Proposal 2, Independent Redistricting Commission Initiative (2018) | 2018 | Supported | Approved
|
Leadership[edit]
The following individuals held leadership positions with the NDRC as of February 2018:[1][27][28]
- Eric Holder, Chair
- Kelly Ward, Executive director
- Elisabeth Pearson, Board member
- Ali Lapp, Board member
- Jessica Post, Board member
- Greg Speed, Board member
Finances[edit]
Holder reported that the NDRC had raised more than $16 million as of February 2018.[20] The group's 2017 donors included Fred Eychaner, Donald Sussman, Jon Stryker, Martha Samuelson, and J.J. Abrams and his wife, Katie McGrath.[29]
Recent news[edit]
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms National Democratic Redistricting Committee. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Internal Revenue Service, "Form 8871—National Democratic Redistricting Committee," accessed February 8, 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Politico, "Obama, Holder to lead post-Trump redistricting campaign," October 17, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 National Democratic Redistricting Committee, "NDRC 2017 wrap-up and 2018 preview," December 22, 2017
- ↑ Politico, "Dem redistricting group clocks $10.8 million in first 6 months," July 31, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Obama's post-presidency political focus: Redistricting," October 17, 2016
- ↑ Center for Public Integrity, "527s - Frequently Asked Questions," May 19, 2014
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Exempt Purposes - Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3)," accessed January 13, 2014
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Life Cycle of a Public Charity/Private Foundation," accessed July 10, 2015
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Exemption Requirements - 501(c)(3) Organizations," accessed January 13, 2014
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "IRC 501(c)(4) Organizations," accessed July 10, 2014
- ↑ National Democratic Redistricting Committee, "About us," accessed February 8, 2018
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Politico, "Holder group sues Walker for not holding elections in Wisconsin," February 26, 2018
- ↑ Wisconsin State Journal, "Judge rules that Scott Walker must call special elections for two vacant seats in Legislature," March 23, 2018
- ↑ The New York Times, "Holder-Led Group Challenges Georgia Redistricting, Claiming Racial Bias," October 3, 2017
- ↑ Politico, "Obama returns to politics with redistricting group fundraiser," July 9, 2017
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Ballotpedia staff, "Email correspondence with the National Democratic Redistricting Committee," February 7, 2018
- ↑ National Democratic Redistricting Committee, "NDRC 2018 electoral targets," accessed February 10, 2018
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 The New York Times, "Eric Holder's group targets all-G.O.P. states to attack gerrymandering," February 6, 2018
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Politico, "Eric Holder is tired of being polite," November 7, 2017
- ↑ Bangor Daily News, "Democrats flip state Senate seat in Wisconsin," January 17, 2018
- ↑ Dayton Daily News, "Ohio Senate passes major changes to congressional redistricting," February 5, 2018
- ↑ Cincinnati Enquirer, "Everyone complains about congressional gerrymandering. Ohio just did something about it," February 6, 2018
- ↑ Akron Beacon Journal, "Ohio legislature passes landmark compromise to discourage gerrymandering," February 6, 2018
- ↑ Ohio State Legislature, "Senate Joint Resolution 5," accessed February 6, 2018
- ↑ National Democratic Redistricting Committee, "About us," accessed February 8, 2018
- ↑ National Democratic Redistricting Committee, "Leadership," accessed February 8, 2018
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Obama-backed Democratic redistricting group raises $10.8 million in 2017," July 31, 2017
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